Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is calling on Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and the Biden Administration to prepare to release supplies from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve (NEHHOR) during the cold fall and winter months. Heating oil inventories in the Northeast are more than 60% below the five-year average, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The president is authorized to draw down and sell oil from the NEHHOR to address a severe energy supply disruption or significant regional supply shortage.

“Granite State families are feeling the pinch of high prices at the grocery store and at the gas pump,” said Kuster. “It is critical that we act to avoid further pain as folks begin to fill their oil tanks for the winter. We’ve taken decisive steps to help lower costs for families in New Hampshire and across the country but more must be done to make sure that no one is forced to choose between heating their home or putting food on the table. That’s why I’m calling on the Biden Administration to prepare to release supplies from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve to help lower costs for New Hampshire households as we approach colder weather. I will continue to push the Administration to take all steps within its power to address high costs facing New Hampshire.”

In addition to calling for the release of heating oil reserves, Kuster joined a bipartisan push to increase funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps households in need afford their energy bills. 

Congresswoman Kuster has been a strong advocate for Granite State consumers to address rising prices at the grocery store and at the pump. In the Energy and Commerce Committee, she confronted Big Oil company executives on their business practices and the fossil fuel industry’s role in rising gas prices. Kuster also voted in favor of H.R. 7688, the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act, which would grant the president the power to issue an emergency energy proclamation outlawing the sale of consumer fuels — fuel for cars, airplanes, home heating oil, and liquid propane — at artificially high prices during the emergency period.

The Full Text of Kuster’s letter to Secretary Granholm is available below: 

September 2, 2022

The Honorable Jennifer Granholm

U.S. Department of Energy

1000 Independence Ave., SW

Washington, D.C. 20585

Dear Secretary Granholm:

I write today to express the urgent need to address the heating and energy challenges my constituents in New Hampshire will face as we near the fall and winter months. Across the nation, families and households are already grappling with the rising costs of energy as a result of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and its impacts on global energy markets.

As the cold season fast approaches, New England states and their residents are distinctly vulnerable to energy price shocks due to a reliance on fuel oil as a primary heating source. In New Hampshire, more than 40 percent of homes depend on fuel oil to survive the cold winter months. It is vital that we begin taking action now to ensure that families in New Hampshire and across the Northeast can afford to heat their homes this winter.

In response to rising energy costs, I have worked with my colleagues in Congress to deliver an unprecedented level of funding to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. As a result of these efforts, New Hampshire has received over $60 million in the past year to help the most vulnerable households afford their energy bills. While this funding will play a critical role in lowering costs for Granite State families, more must still be done to ensure fuel oil availability in the coming months.   

As you know, the U.S. Energy Information Administration has reported that diesel and heating oil inventories are 63% below the five-year average in the Northeast. To bolster the region’s energy supply, I urge you to release inventory from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve (NEHHOR) during this upcoming season. This action is well within the Administration’s authority to respond to a severe energy supply shortage in the region and would provide meaningful relief to households across the Northeast. 

In addition to releasing reserves from the NEHHOR, I request that the Administration also examine opportunities to increase the supply of alternative heating fuel resources to New England. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a critical fuel source that provides electricity and heat to households throughout the region. Despite availability of domestic supplies, the inability to safely transport LNG to the Northeast forces states to import and rely on foreign supplies to meet winter demands. Given the current volatility of the market due to the war in Ukraine, these supply constraints have resulted in increased prices that are unsustainable for Granite State families, and I welcome proposals to resolve this critical supply issue.

I appreciate the actions the Administration has begun taking and its willingness to collaborate with New England states to mitigate energy shortfalls this coming winter. This coordinated response will ensure that energy resources are available and affordable for households in the Granite State and across the Northeast this winter season.

Thank you for your continued efforts to lead our country through this energy crisis and your attention to the additional challenges it presents to my constituents in New Hampshire.

Sincerely,

Ann McLane Kuster

Member of Congress